Bottle rack



Nov. 24, 1959 w. P. MILNER BOTTLERACK Filed March 2'7, 195'! FIG. I

W.P. MILNER United States Patent Wee 2,914,186 BOTTLE RACK Application March 27, 1957, Serial No. 648,958

s Claims to]; 211-14 This invention relates to the handling of merchandise including, for example, beverages "sold in returnable bottles and to the disposition of the bottles after the contents have been consumed so that the empty bottles may be returned to the bottler for refilling. i

The present invention relates more particularly to equipment employed in the handling of bottled goods and the like and particularly to stands orracks 'of wire, which are of light weight, attractive in appearance and relatively inexpensive, such as that disclosed in Patent 2,338,969 of January 11, 1944.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved simplified rack, which is easier to manufacture, requires fewer operations, less labor and material, and consequently can be produced and sold at a lower price.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack having a series of bottle holding sections supported at the bottom and top without the use of frame structure and with resultant saving in production, material, and weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rack or stand of multiple units fabricated in flat condition,

then given the desired shape, and a group of such units assembled in slightly spaced relation so that articles can be held between them due to their spacing as well as by the individual units.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein: Fig. l is a front elevation illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a side elevation; and

Figs. 3 and 4, perspectives of one of the four sections (of the rack of Fig. 1, respectively before and after being but to final shape.

Briefly stated the invention is an empty bottle rack composed of a series of longitudinal'units of wire or rod stock and with the rack supported in position by a conventional easel. Each individual unit is formed flat of longitudinal and transverse wires secured together and then the transverse wires only are shaped to the desired configuration for holding bottles. A series of such units are placed in spaced side-by-side relation and combined to provide the body of the rack to which are secured bottom and top members with no central frame other than a pair of rods secured in spaced relation across the back and with the parallel spacing of the units such that bottles can be held between as well as within the units, thus saving time, labor, material and weight.

With continued reference to the drawing, each unit of the rack of the present invention is fabricated from a series of longitudinal Wires and cross wires 11. These wires are cut the desired lengths and placed with the longitudinal wires transversely of the cross wires as shown in Fig. 3 and then welded at their intersections in fiat condition.

The welded unit U of Fig. 3 is placed in a die and 2,914,186 Patented Nov. 24, 1959 bent to final shaped unitU' as shown in Fig. 4, in which the longitudinal wires ltl' remain straight and the cross wires are bent intermediately so that they form spaced inverted U-shaped portions 11' having their adjacent parallel legs connected by transverse parallel portions 11". The inverted U-shaped portions are spaced so that they form parallel bars for supportinga bottle therebetween the spacing of which is such that the bottle cannot pass between such parallel bars. T

Several units U' such-as that described and illustrated in Fig. 4, are placed in spaced side-by-side relation so that parallel bars are provided by the bars of adjacent units for the support offadditional bottles held between units, and the unit at each side of therack is provided with an additional longitudinally disposed rod 10, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, for preventing bottles insertedr in the rack from discharge through the rear at each side edge of the rack.

After the longitudinal units are bent to .final shape they are assembled with and welded to a rectangularly shaped wire top frame 12 having an upper rod 12' and extending beyond the assembled units as at12", the upper ends of the rods 10 being welded to the rod 12 a wire bottom frame including arcuate feet 13 and transverse cross rods 13' and 13" are secured to the lower ends of the rods 10'. Thereafter a cross rod 14 is added across the back of the rack to which is attached a conventional supporting easel comprising an X-frame 15 and limitinglinks 16, the outer ends of which are connected to the lower ends of the X-frame and the inner ends of which are pivoted around the horizontal portions of the bottom frame 13. A lower cross rod similar to the cross rod 14 may be added if desired.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that an empty bottle rack is provided, composed of units extending from top to bottom held in spaced relation by a top and a bottom frame to which they are welded, and with a supporting easel at the rear, the intermediate structure serving as the framing between the top and bottom frames.

In a rack of this character there are no wire ends facing forwardly to be accidentally engaged by the user of the rack resulting either in injury to the person or damage to the clothes. Further, the use of a rod along the center of each side edge of the rack will prevent small six ounce bottles from being discharged from the rear portion of the side of the rack. Further, the rack is more attractive, easier to manufacture and set up, and involves saving in labor and cost of production.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but

.only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

and third and fourth connected at the front, and the sec- 0nd and third connected at the rear, and with a longitudinal wire centrally along each of the connecting portions and along the sides of the units connecting the free ends of the transverse wires.

2. The structure of the claim 1 in which a longitudinally disposed wire is added to the unit at each side of the rack for retaining bottles against accidental dislodgement from the rack, the bottom members of said rack having parallel front and rear and curved connecting end members at right angles to said front and rear wires, said front and rear wires being welded to said longitudinal members atthe bottom, said top member being of substantially rectangular configuration and being welded to the upper ends of said longitudinal wires.

3. An empty bottle rack comprising a series oflongitudinal units and top and bottom frames attached to the ends thereof providing a top and a bottom for the rack. said longitudinal units each comprising :a plurality of spaced relatively straight longitudinal wires and a plurality of spaced bent transverse wires each including a pair of spaced parallel U-shaped members the ends of the contiguous legs of which are joined.

4. The method of making an empty bottle rack comprising cutting a series of longitudinal .wires and cross wires of appropriate lengths, placing such .wires .in the proper relation and welding" them together into a unit, shaping the structure thus formed with said longitudinal wires left straight and said transverse wires having four straight substantially parallel portions with spaced connecting portions at one side and a single connecting portion intermediate the spaced portions at the opposite side, producing a bottom frame having substantially parallel sides and curved support engaging end portions disposed in planes at right angles to said substantially parallel sides,

producing a substantially rectangular top frame of an outline equal to that of the bottom frame, and welding said top and bottom sections to said plurality of said units.

5. The method of makingjan empty bottle rack comprising cutting longitudinal and cross Wires of appropriate lengths, placing them in the proper relationship, welding, them together in the flat, forming transverse bends sothat the transverse wires of each unit will have two spaced pairs of straight substantially parallel portions extending from front to rear with the two spaced pairs connected at the rear and the intermediate pair connected'at the front, and adding-an easel type support for maintaining said rack in a position for use.

References Cited ,in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 194,541 Stark Aug. 28, 1877 1,915,496 Johnson June 27, 1933 2,025,769 ODell Dec. 31, 1935 2,338,969 Robinson Jan. 11, 1944 2,384,847 Perry Sept. 18, 1945 2,566,644 Togt Sept. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 165,877 Australia Nov. 3, 1955 France Dec. 23, 1953 

